There is a misconception that online and offline marketing do not go hand-in-hand. The truth is the two work together and greatly affect each other.Offline Marketing – Utilizes media channels that are not associated with the Web to create brand awareness.Online Marketing – Includes strategies that utilize the Web to create brand awareness. Such as email, social media, and websites, to name a few.
For any business, especially law firms, it is extremely important to maintain a level of interest and awareness for your brand both online and offline. If your marketing efforts for online and offline are managed by different people, it is important to make sure there is a shared vision. Many great ideas and strategies can go untapped if there is a lack of awareness of other aspects of your marketing campaign.

Visibility and Brand Awareness
Your online visibility is just as important as your offline presence. You can reinforce brand recognition with a potential client when they find your firm during an online search and later see your TV advertisement. In order to maximize brand recognition, the firm’s message needs to be consistent and delivered in a cohesive way throughout all forms of marketing, both online and offline.
If a potential client sees a statement on a firm’s website that says, “40 years of experience in personal injury law, over a million people successfully helped,” they are more likely to accept the statement and determine the firm is trustworthy and honest if the same message appears in multiple media. Having consistent information throughout all aspects of your campaigns will help establish trust with your audience. In addition, regular mentions of the firm’s awards or testimonials from your clients can be used across platforms.

Lead Generation
The opportunity for new client leads increases as your online and offline marketing efforts work more closely together. Every marketing campaign is different and various combinations of efforts could be the secret sauce for generating a wider range of leads, and opportunities for signed cases.
Potential clients may see a printed piece with the firm’s website listed, and reach out online after searching for the site. Or perhaps a potential client first discovers the firm’s website by search and decides to contact them after later seeing a newspaper ad. The paths of leads may vary greatly, but campaigns with unified online and offline efforts can produce more leads.

Communication is Key
The key to a successful law firm marketing campaign depends heavily on the communication between those responsible for the online and offline strategies. Data needs to be shared to ensure that marketing efforts are performing as they should. Also, adjustments to campaigns can be made or capitalized on when communication is seamless. For example, the effectiveness of TV commercials targeting a specific geo may be validated by increases in website traffic after the spots air. Without considering the TV commercials, those spikes in web traffic from that geo would be unexplained. Only by coordinating efforts and sharing pertinent information can you maximize the benefit of all marketing activities.

Successfully Integrate Offline and Online Marketing Strategies
One of the ways we law firms can help increase leads is through effectively integrating a client’s online and offline marketing efforts. Below is an example of a firm that has seen an increase in leads by ensuring that their marketing efforts are working together:

The firm advertised on a billboard along a main highway using a team photo and listing their firm’s Web address.

Through coordination of efforts, the same photo was added to their website.

Prospective clients saw the billboard, searched for the firm’s site on mobile, and after seeing the familiar image, contacted the firm via the website while traveling. Providing easy, accessible offline information about the firm and having an online presence that carried their brand across platforms proved effective for this firm. This is a great example of online and offline marketing working together:

A creative asset for distracted driving awareness was developed as an online marketing effort to communicate the firm’s message, and the importance of not driving while distracted to avoid injury.

A TV commercial was also created to focus on this same important message. The commercial included the firm’s URL and directed viewers to the site to promote awareness and learn more about distracted driving.

The commercial was also available to view online and created a strong message that the law firm is trustworthy and cares about the community.

High-quality marketing efforts that work together both online and offline prove to be effective in gaining exposure, brand awareness and overall lead opportunities for law firms.

Amanda Wiebke serves as an analyst and consultant with
Consultwebs.com, working with consultants to ensure clients’
websites are running as smoothly as possible. Consultwebs.
com provides a laser-focused, unique approach to marketing
each law firm’s brand to their communities.

About the Author: Amanda Wiebke serves as an analyst and consultant with
Consultwebs.com, working with consultants to ensure clients’
websites are running as smoothly as possible. Consultwebs.
com provides a laser-focused, unique approach to marketing
each law firm’s brand to their communities.